Blogging. Fatherhood. Business Building. It's all here.

It’s time for a change…

November 14, 2011 By 68 Comments

This morning, I was getting for the day when I came to a realization…

I hate blogging about blogging.

What started off as trying to help people has turned into the vicious cycling that I had dreaded from day one.

So what exactly happens?

The more I post useful tips that actually work…the more people just want another list post about “how to get more comments” or “how to make more money” that they can tweet without reading or use on their own “make money online talking about making money online” blog. It is less and less about building a business out of something unique and more about copying the success of others in the hope that money can be made off of the same blueprint.

As this cycle continued to show itself…I was finding myself thinking about creating training course, more eBooks and other related materials that would basically just become more of the noise. I wasn’t happy about it and I was dreading every second of it.

Why I Initially Got Into Blogging

I got into blogging to connect and help other people in the biking industry with Bike198. Luckily, that site is still doing that. However, when I tried to apply that same theory to Blogging Labs, I was getting stuck in the rut that most blogs about blogging head in…and it is time to stop the madness.

I want to connect with people again and I do not care if that costs me money in the long run. That is not why I started writing about online publishing in the first place…but that is what it turned into. Bike198 is still doing incredibly well on the income side of things without having to sacrifice the connection and sharing within the industry. That audience could care less about the blogging and make money online world…all they want to do is share their passion online.

If I have to take an income hit to get back that connect here…it is worth the tradeoff to not be another “blog about blogging” or “make money online by talking about making money online” place on the web. There are enough people doing that already and 99.9% of them are all saying the same thing. Saying that, there are very few (ie. DavidRisley.com and some others) that are still publishing content that I will even read.

So things are going to change rapidly. I am going to get back to connecting with people by publishing everything here on RobbSutton.com and I am completely dropping Blogging Labs. The old content will stay live, but now you are going to be connecting with me…not some brand…not what the industry wants…just me. The about pages, categories and other items will shift into the direction that I want this site to take.

I have a lot going on now that I do believe can help people and I want to share, but I do not want it to be list posts about rehashed crap in an attempt for pageviews. If you want to connect with me…the guy behind the scenes…then you will love this change. If you want more list posts and how to posts that will “get you 100 more subscribers today”, you are not on the right site anymore.

It’s time for a change.

To start…I am going to give everything I used to charge for away for free. Ramped Blogging and Ramped Reviews are now yours to have whether or not you subscribe to a newsletter or purchase them. Here are the download links…

Ramped Reviews

Ramped Blogging

They will continue to be free for anyone who wants to download them. If you sign up for the newsletter or rss feed…great! I am glad to have you as a part of the site. But…I will no longer be offering a free incentive on this site as part of the signup process as the blogging about blogging world is full of people that purely signup for the free stuff and aren’t interested in staying connected. They are just interested in that next “magic bullet”.

Blogging needs to get back to its roots…

I have this fundamental belief that blogging needs to get back to its roots. What started off as making that one on one connection has now become almost solely focused on money and becoming another “get rich quick” scheme. What many people fail to realize is that the money came after the connection…not before. It is only when these connections got in such high numbers that bloggers began to gain respect for the amount of income they were producing that was a byproduct of the connections…it wasn’t the initial goal.

So here is RobbSutton.com…it will be about me. My successes, failures and life laid out  in the attempt to connect with people on the other side of the screen. I am going to keep this site as far away from MMO as possible and focus my life, what I enjoy and the principles that create successful ventures.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , ,

A Look At RobbSutton.com in 2009

December 29, 2009 By 12 Comments

2009 was a HUGE year for RobbSutton.com. There was a lot going on in front of and behind the scenes to continue to bring valuable blogging and lifestyle design content through the air waves and to the screen of your computer. As we look forward to the promising year of 2010, I wanted to take a quick look back on 2009 and what exactly went on during this great blogging year. But…before we jump into some of my favorites from this past calendar year, I want to take the chance to thank all of you for supporting this site (and my others if you follow those) over the past year. It has been a blast interacting with you as we both work to grow our blogs.

Ebooks…Ebooks…Ebooks…

It was a busy writing year for me! With 2009, there was the introduction and publishing of 3 ebooks on RobbSutton.com and 1 ebook on Bike198.com. I made it a goal to get these informational products done this year, and I achieved that goal plus 1. These ebooks have been an integral part of the success of RobbSutton.com over the past year and I have been incredibly happy with the result.

In July, I released the premium eBook, Ramped Reviews, that gives you all the industry secrets…ins and outs…and how to contact companies…so that you can start to get in free review product on your blog. Review product was a HUGE part of Bike198.com as we saw over $100k worth of review product come through the front doors.

Later that month, I also release Ramped Mindset as a free download through the newsletter subscription. Ramped Mindset helps you improve your way of thinking so that you can realize success. It all starts with your mindset and Ramped Mindset kicks that into gear!

The goal of RobbSutton.com is to help other bloggers see the same success I have through blogging, so in October of this year, I released Ramped Blogging…The Ultimate Blogging Guide. Ramped Blogging takes you from step 1 to step 1,000 in the pursuit of having a successful, money making blog that is growing a bigger following by the day. It is also free via the newsletter subscription, so if you haven’t picked up a copy…click here and get it today!

As a bonus…if you pick up a copy of Ramped Reviews before the end of 2009…I’ll give you 25% off using coupon code “2009″. Click here to pick up your own copy!

Guest Posting On Other Blogs

I really like connecting with readers on other blogs. It gives you a chance to get your voice heard to a new audience and it is a very rewarding experience to interact with new people. This year, I made it a focus to really hit guest blogging hard with some high quality posts on other bloggers sites. Here are some of the best of 2009.

Interviews from 2009

One of the other things I have really enjoyed throughout 2009 is getting interviewed by other bloggers about blogging and reviewing. Here are my favorite interviews from 2009.

Note: I was also named #30 on IncomeDiary’s Top 50 Most Influential Bloggers of 2009 which was a HUGE surprise and honor to be listed with that group of bloggers.

My Favorite Content from 2009

As we continue to pump out blogging and lifestyle design content…here are some of my favorite from the last calendar year…

Favorite Blogging Articles
Favorite Lifestyle Design | Personal Articles
Favorite Making Money Articles

2009 Was A Big Year!

Looking back at 2009, I am extremely happy where things headed with RobbSutton.com. As I look forward to 2010, there are several more projects I am going to launch on this site to further the content production and interaction with you guys as we continue to search out success in our own lives. Hopefully, you have received as much has I have from you this year as we look forward to the next.

Just remember…success is up to you…no one is going to hand it to you on a silver platter. And if they did…you wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. Go out and get want you want in life and leave the begging and hand holding out to those that want to complain about their spot in the world. The rest of us will enjoy this one and only life that we are going to create for ourselves.

Happy new year and thanks again for the continued support!!

Filed Under: Blogging, My Life Tagged With: , , ,

Happy Holidays from Robb Sutton

December 24, 2009 By 3 Comments

Happy Holidays from my family to yours this holiday season. Thank you for the continued support and a fantastic year as we look forward to 2010.

I hope it brings as much joy, happiness and success as you have supported me with over the past year.

Keep at it and happy blogging!

Robb Sutton
info (at) robbsutton.com
—
Bike198.com
CoffeeObsessed.net
RobbSutton.com

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life Tagged With: , ,

Another Year Equals Another Birthday

December 23, 2009 By 14 Comments

It happened again! Another year and now another birthday. I have been alive on this planet for one more year and counting!

My birthday falls on a unique time of the year where we are spending time with family and looking back at the previous year as we look forward to the next. 2009 and my year of being 27 was filled with a lot of ups and downs, but overall…there were more achievements than their were disasters, so I see even more hope around the corner as we continue this path of life.

It is customary this time of year for people to ask you what you want. What do you want for Christmas? In my case…what do you want for your birthday? Do you want to go out to eat? Do you want something specific under the tree or in front of the birthday cake? This year (and the last one too really), I have had a very difficult time with that question.

As I look back on the previous year of being 27 years old and the calendar year 2009, I have a hard time finding something that I want that I do not already have.

  • I have a loving wife that we got to enjoy our first full year married this year. It hasn’t been perfect as we have had to deal with some medical issues that are our of our control, but getting through it has made us stronger together. Maybe that is the point of it all…
  • I have 2 dogs that have so much personality and joy that…if they get anymore…just might start talking English and walking on their hind legs. As I mentioned previously, Hans (the male) is a rescue and that has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
  • I have a great family and a set of friends that most people would kill for. Life is about experiences and who you share those experiences with…and my friends are just as crazy as I am…so it is a great fit.
  • I have just about every physical product that you would buy off a shelf that I need. There are always things that people (me included) want, but my needs are more than met. Thanks to Bike198.com…I don’t really worry about cycling related products anymore!
  • I have a business that is growing by the day through connecting with and helping other people. The ability to help others realize their potential to create a better life for themselves has to be one of the coolest things ever! I happen to do it through this site, Bike198.com and my other blogs and if you can figure out how to get other people to live their dreams…you will understand what I am talking about. Helping others succeed in their own life is where the success really is…

2010 and my age of 28 years is going to bring some new challenges that I am looking forward to while also scared straight out of my skin!

  • My wife and I are looking to add members of the family of the 2 legged variety and that is going to be an adventure all to itself. It better not be a girl because that new Gap commercial with the boots makes me want to throw plastic at kids that are not even mine!
  • I am expanding my business in a whole new way starting next week and that is going to carry into other new projects over the coming year. Exciting times and now it is time to step it up even further in my pursuit of my perfect lifestyle.

I really have zero complaints and even if I had any…no one would listen. Any why would they?! Things are great and no matter what you do or do not have, this time of year is for remember what you do have…and not necessarily what you want. On this birthday, I am looking around and seeing my dreams come true. That is all I need…not a fancy dinner…not something that will be obsolete in 6 months…just friends, family, pets and my desire to keep getting better.

But…all of that said…my mom and dad did hook me up with some items for my office that completely kick ass.

Now…if you really want to get me something I don’t need…but want! Check out this Amazon Wish List (honestly…I have heard about these Amazon Wish Lists for a long time now and have never used the feature…wanted to give it a whirl with a couple of items I keep on my personal list). Click here to see my Amazon Wish List.

Image by Rob J Brooks

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life Tagged With: , , ,

Guided Tour: The New RobbSutton.com

November 25, 2009 By 8 Comments

You may have already noticed, but things changed quite a bit around RobbSutton.com. In an earlier post, I had mentioned that I wanted this blog to feel more like home as I continue to pump out articles related to blogging tips, business building and lifestyle design mindsets for entrepreneurs.

The end result, is a site that not only appeals more to my writing style and feel, but has some cool elements that compliment the content. So…let’s take a quick walk around.

The New Design

The New RobbSutton.com

As you can probably tell, the new RobbSutton.com is a hacked up version of the new Headlines theme from WooThemes. I liked the way that Headlines presented the content so I purchased the theme and got to work on making it look like my own.

Logo by Vitamin

Vitamin hooked it up with the new logo. The strong type face portrays the “in your face” attitude I have to lifestyle design while the comment bubble speaks well to blogging.

Background by TwitterWalls.com

I wanted something unique in the background. Not a solid color or gradient, but something that really spoke to bloggers and gave them an insight into my life. I am absolutely addicted to my Apple products (iPhone and MacBook Pro) and I use small notes and whiteboards to gather my blogging thoughts. The result was a background that displays my tools as a blogger. The grungier feel to the texture also speaks well to my mountain biking background and rougher speech on self motivation. You can check out Robert Losch at TwitterWalls.com (he also did the background for my Twitter background @robbsutton).

Sidebar and Advertising

I needed a site that converted readers into subscribers and funnel that traffic in a way that helped other bloggers by inviting them to my free eBook and eCourse. To do this…I created 300×250 spots that “advertise” my free products and subscription options. Other than that…there are only useful widgets that display content…all direct advertising and affiliate banners were dropped completely.

There has been some heated debate about advertising on blogs and a couple of bloggers have even jumped on their soapbox screaming how great they are for not displaying banner ads on their blogs. At this point in time, I do not feel they bring the value to the site that is in line with its goals…and that is it. All of those other bloggers can keep their soapbox while they pat themselves on the back because I do what is right for my sites at that time (still use banner ads and direct advertising on other blogs). This does not mean banner ads are not going to display sometime in the future, but – for now – I did not feel they brought enough added value to the site to continue selling the ad spots. I want a non-distracting environment where bloggers can continue to grow their blogs.

New Toolbox Page

toolbox1

Two of my highest visited pages on this site is the eBooks page and the How I Make Money Online page. Due tot he success of these two resources, I also opened up my Blogging Toolbox page to show you guys exactly which tools I use to get the job done.

Brand New Service – Blog Consulting

Robb Sutton Blog Consulting

As of yesterday, I opened up a service publicly that was previously only going on behind closed doors. Behind the scenes, I have been providing blog consulting services for bloggers looking to start or increase their blog success. This has been a great way to work with other bloggers and help them achieve the success I have seen in blogging regardless of niche.

Now…you can get one on one consulting from me on your blog on how to clean things up and start seeing success in your blogging. You can find out more by clicking here.

Overall, the new design is accomplishing the goals I set out for the blog. When you are looking into your design and the changes you want to make, you really need to do what feels right at the time and then let your readers do the talking. When I first put this design up, I was using a featured panel on the homepage that looked really cool with automatic scrolling. But…I wasn’t seeing any increased click through rates on those articles, and…that meant…readers were not using that space. If they are not using it…it doesn’t matter how cool it looks…it is just dead real estate and it has to go! So…you will notice that the homepage no longer includes the featured box even if I liked the way it looked.

Now that the wrapping is off of the new RobbSutton.com, take a look around! I’d love to hear your feedback as you are the guys that click around and digest the content.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , ,

What I Do On The Weekends – Mountain Biking Video

November 13, 2009 By 8 Comments

It’s Friday, I feel like kicking back and watching videos so I thought I would share one with you guys that gives a little insight into my weekend life. As you have probably already noticed, I do not post much on the weekends on this blog or my others. I typically use the weekends as a chance to get out and enjoy life outside of the weekly grind. Luckily, Bike198.com is my outlet for all things cycling related and it allows me to test out all of the newest gear in the industry.

This past weekend, I grabbed the Niner W.F.O. 9 review bike (those that don’t ride mtb have zero clue what that is!) and the VholdR ContourHD helmet cam to go get some riding done in Tennessee. As you can see by the video, there were leaves everywhere. So bad in fact, that it was hard to even see the trail! We had a blast anyway and the weather was perfect.

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Filed Under: My Life, Videos Tagged With: , ,

New Logo – New Look – New Attitude – The New RobbSutton.com

September 10, 2009 By 7 Comments

You may have noticed that robbsutton.com has changed a little bit over the past couple of hours. Justtheweb.com hooked me up with a great logo, so I just had to design the rest of the site around it. Overall, everything is coming together and there will still be a couple of tweaks in the future, but I was just sick and tired of seeing all of that white! It was time to bring some life and feeling into my blog and I think we accomplished just that. I am super stoked with the results.

“Laid Back Blogging for Serious Entrepreneurs”

Welcome to the new robbsutton.com…where I am about laid back blogging for serious entrepreneurs. I know…you are thinking…what the hell does that mean? When I started looking at the direction I wanted this blog to take, I sat down for a long time pondering the facts of life. What makes us blog? Why do we start our own businesses? Why do we want to be self sufficient and live on our own terms? The answer was simple…we want to live happier lives.

The problem that I ran into – and I am sure many of you can relate – is that I transferred that seriousness in my entrepreneur life into the rest of my life! What does that equal?! Being serious all the time. We did not start blogging to turn our web venture into another job. We also did not start our blogs to be serious all the time. I believe there is a way to be a serious entrepreneur but have a blast doing it.

Quick story…my daily commute was a disaster. I got the pleasure of driving an hour, in traffic, both ways to work at Atlanta surrounded by hundreds of other fortunate individuals who were all doing the same. As I drove by these dozens of faces, do you know what every single one of them looked like? Mad…mad as hell at the world and they looked like that every day of every week. Now…I do not believe that most of these road warriors set out to be mad that day. I really believe they want to be happy, but – day in and day out – they continue the same routine pissed at the world and they can not figure out why.

As bloggers and entrepreneurs, we bring that same mentality into our projects. It is not our fault. It is how we have been conditioned to treat the activities that bring us income. I look back on some of my posts on my blogs and they read like a textbook. My bland, seriousness was bleeding into the activities that I started so that I could be doing something different…not just a variation of the same. So why was I making my blogging/entrepreneur life as boring as my other work life? It really does not make much sense, but until you take an objective look at things…you won’t even realize you are doing it!

Time To Lighten Up and Enjoy What We Are Doing

Laid back blogging is not unsuccessful blogging…it is actually quite the opposite. Readers are attracted to bloggers that actually enjoy what they are doing when that is seen in their writing. In our quest to make our one and only life enjoyable, we need to treat each and every day like it is our last. We need to take every minute and make the most of it being thankful for what we have and looking forward to experiences of the future. Bland and boring have to go in favor of exciting and new…do you really just want to read another boring blog about blogging and affiliate marketing? I don’t and I surely don’t want to write one…

Celebrate With A Discount!

In celebration of this new attitude and outlook on robbsutton.com, you are going to see a new style of writing that really portrays what blogging is at its core…the absolute, best way to enjoy every minute of your life and make money at the same time. With this new attitude…I am giving a 50% discount on Ramped Reviews with coupon code “198″ for the next 1,000 copies. I am also increasing the affiliate percentage to 50% to make marketing Ramped Reviews worth your time at the new lower price. I really want you to feel what it is like to get your favorite stuff in for free thanks to your blogging. Like today…when I was the first to take in a new bike that just hit the market thanks to my blog…that is a great feeling!!! And that is what blogging is really capable of!!

So here we go…into a new world at robbsutton.com where we are going to take a journey into the world of blogging, life and whatever else comes our way…looking for ways to capitalize on our success and do it with a smile on our face. Life is far too short to worry about being 100% professional all of the time. There is a way to be both successful and happy…so we are going to dive in head first and find it.

Here is to your success,

Robb Sutton
oneninety8, LLC

Filed Under: Blogging, Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , ,

I Am Nothing But A Big Geek

August 28, 2009 By 9 Comments

OK! I admit it! I am nothing but a big geek, nerd or whatever other term you use to describe the socially inept. No…the picture to the right is not me, but that is what I feel like on the inside.

My clothes don’t match.

I stare at my iPhone 3GS constantly.

My laptop goes with me everywhere.

Terms like RAM, GHZ, and Front Side Bus get me excited.

I’m an economics major and my wife is an engineer.

I’d rather stare at a computer screen than hit a late night club.

I have been Apple Computer obsessed since the days of the Apple Classic and have never personally owned a Windows based machine.

I will pick restaurants that have free wifi over food quality.

I even know every word to “Ice Ice Baby”.

I talk server talk with the owner of my hosting company (sorry Alex…you are a big geek too!)

I have hours of conversation surrounding Ruby On Rails and WordPress with a best friend that I haven’t actually met in person (another big geek…Justin Shattuck)

What can I say…it is who I am. I’ve come to grips with it. The only real thing that I use as a disguise is a set of contacts and a wife that makes sure that I don’t look like an idiot in public.

Chances are…if you are reading this post or playing on the internet through blogs and other social media…you can at least relate a little bit or you are ready to get into a geek war over who has it the worst.

Luckily, the past couple of days are going to really satisfy my inner geek syndrome. Yesterday night, Apple released the new Facebook 3.0 app for the iPhone (it is a killer upgrade by the way) and right now I am awaiting delivery of my new copy of Snow Leopard (the latest Mac operating system upgrade for those of you not in the know). So…as you can probably tell, my inner geek is all primed and ready for some computer/smart phone testing. Stayed tuned and I’ll spread the sickness by “reviewing” these upgrades soon.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, Technology Tagged With: , ,

25 Things About Robb Sutton

May 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I normally try to stay away from the whole tagging process that spreads around Facebook and other internet outlets, but…for some odd reason…I did this last one on Facebook. So here it is…25 random facts about me whether you were interested or not!

So let’s get this party started…

  1. There are 3 things in life that make me truly happy…my wife, my dogs and riding my bike with friends. As long as those three are in harmony…it really can’t get much better.
  2. One of my major goals in life is to be self-sufficient doing what I love instead of dependent upon doing what I hate, and I will achieve this. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , ,

Breathing Fresh Air – Taking a Break

March 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend, a group of us headed up to Pisgah Forest, NC for some rest and relaxation. Well…we consider it rest and relaxation, but in reality…it is a bunch of hardcore mountain bikers looking for some sweet singletrack to rip to pieces. Anyways…with everything that is going on with the economy, job market and other daily stresses, it was time to get out and breath that clean mountain air to clear out the head a little bit.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , , ,
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